Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport secured a podium, an Independent victory and further championship points at Knockhill. Gordon Shedden starred in front of his home crowd, taking P2 in the qualifying race before securing P3 and the Independent victory in Race One, while Árón Taylor-Smith also added valuable points.
The team headed to Knockhill looking to build on a strong start to the 2026 campaign, with both Gordon Shedden and Árón Taylor-Smith having already secured an overall race victory apiece.
The opening free practice session saw mixed running for both drivers, with the team using the session to gather valuable data ahead of qualifying. Árón was first to take to the track in the opening qualifying group but was unable to show his true pace after encountering a mechanical issue, ultimately securing P15 on the grid in an incredibly competitive session.
Gordon entered the fray in the second group and produced a sensational performance in front of his home crowd, topping the timesheets with a blistering 50.860. The Scotsman would ultimately miss out on pole position by just 0.030 seconds, setting up a strong starting position for the qualifying race.
In the qualifying race that followed, Gordon made a strong start and remained firmly in the fight at the front as the pack thundered around the Fife circuit. Árón, meanwhile, battled hard in the midfield as he looked to make progress. Gordon ultimately took the chequered flag in P2, while Árón crossed the line in P14, bringing a positive Saturday to a close for the team.
Race day soon arrived, and with it came the unpredictable Scottish weather, with rain and gloomy skies surrounding the circuit. Race One saw Gordon fighting at the sharp end once again, drawing on all his BTCC experience to secure a hard-fought third-place finish and Independent victory in soaking conditions. Árón also battled hard throughout the race, making up two positions to cross the line in P12.
Race Two saw dry conditions, but the track remained cool with moisture still in the air. Starting from the front row on the harder tyre, Gordon looked to maintain his position but was unable to match the pace of the soft-tyre runners, eventually crossing the line in P7. Árón was involved in a tense midfield battle and made good progress before being pushed wide onto the gravel, ultimately finishing P13.
Race Three proved to be a difficult conclusion to the weekend. Gordon, now on the softer tyre, picked up a puncture on the opening lap, forcing him into the pits and dropping him down the order. Despite the setback, he returned to the race to set the fastest race lap of the weekend, earning him the David Leslie Trophy. Árón also endured a challenging final race, with the pair eventually taking the chequered flag in P23 and P17 respectively.
Despite the difficult end to the weekend, the team leaves Knockhill with further silverware and valuable points, continuing its push up both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships.
Following the weekend, Gordon sits tenth in the Drivers’ Championship, with Árón 14th. Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport now sit sixth in the Teams’ Championship and remain third in the Independent Teams’ Championship.
The team now looks ahead to Round 7 of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park GP on 22–23 August.
Árón Taylor-Smith (#50) said:
“It was a challenging weekend for us and, after the issue in qualifying, we were always playing catch-up, but the car had good race pace. When you’re running in the midfield at a circuit like Knockhill, you’re always going to be in the thick of the action, and unfortunately we found ourselves on the wrong side of a few incidents, which made it difficult to make the progress we were looking for. We know what the car is capable of at these types of circuits, so we’ll take the positives from the weekend and keep pushing. There’s still a lot of racing to come this season, and we need to make sure we maximise the opportunities when they come.”
Gordon Shedden (#52) said:
“It’s always special to race at Knockhill, but to stand on the podium in front of the home crowd makes it even better. We had a really quick car all weekend, which was proven by winning the David Leslie Trophy for the fastest race lap of the weekend in Race Three, and were just fractions away from pole on Saturday. It was great to come away with a podium and an Independents win, but there’s a little bit of a feeling of what might have been after the puncture in Race Three, as we were on the soft tyre and could have had a really strong race. There are plenty of positives to take from the weekend, though, and we’ve added some important points to the championship.”
Mark Blundell, Sporting Director, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said:
“Knockhill has given us plenty to be positive about, particularly with Gordon’s performance in front of his home crowd. A front-row qualifying result, podium and Independent victory, along with second in the qualifying race, is a strong return and shows the pace we have in the package. Árón had a tougher weekend and was hampered by the issue in qualifying, but he fought hard throughout and brought home valuable points for the team. We know we still have to keep improving and, most importantly, maximise the opportunities when they come our way, so our full focus now turns to Donington, where we’ll be looking to build on this performance.”
